Remote deployment and debugging of workstations in distributed control systems

Abstract

A method and system for facilitating remote commissioning of a workstation to control, maintain, and / or configure process control field devices in a process control plant. Using a configuration workstation coupled to the workstation via a communications network, a user can specify a configuration for the workstation using software. Upon selecting a workstation for commissioning, the user can remotely access the configuration workstation and configure the workstation according to the specified configuration. Configuring the workstation can include installing / updating an operating system, installing / updating an operator, maintenance, or configuration interface application, and / or installing / updating a process plant configuration. Upon completion of configuration, the workstation is operable to communicate with a process controller to implement control, maintenance, and / or configuration of the process control plant.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of process control systems, and more particularly, to a system and method for remotely debugging one or more computer workstations within a distributed control system. Background Art

[0002] Distributed control systems (DCS) are used in a variety of process industries, including chemical, petrochemical, refining, pharmaceutical, food and beverage, power, cement, water and wastewater, oil and gas, pulp and paper, and steel, and are used to control batch, fed-batch, and continuous processes operating at a single site or remote locations. A process plant typically includes one or more process controllers that are communicatively connected to one or more field devices via an analog, digital, or hybrid analog / digital bus, or through a wireless communication link or network. The various devices collectively perform monitoring, control, and data collection functions to control processes, safety shutdown systems, fire and gas detection systems, machine health monitoring systems, maintenance systems, decision support, and other systems.

[0003] Field devices may be, for example, valves, valve positioners, switches, and transmitters (e.g., temperature, pressure, level, and flow rate sensors) that are located within a process environment and typically perform physical or process control functions, such as opening or closing a valve, measuring a process parameter, etc., to control one or more processes being performed within a process plant or system. Smart field devices, such as those that conform to the well-known Fieldbus protocol, may also perform control calculations, alarm functions, and other control functions typically implemented within a controller. A process controller is also typically located within a plant environment, receives signals indicative of process measurements made by the field devices and / or other information related to the field devices, and executes a controller application that runs, for example, different control modules that make process control decisions, generate control signals based on the information received, and coordinate with control modules or blocks being executed within the field devices, such as the process controller. and Fieldbus field devices. A control module in a controller sends control signals to a field device over a communication line or link, thereby controlling the operation of at least a portion of a process plant or system.

[0004] Information from field devices and controllers is typically made available via data channels to one or more other hardware devices, such as operator workstations, personal computers or computing devices, data historians, report generators, centralized databases, or other centralized management computing devices typically placed in a control room or other location away from a more hostile plant environment. Each of these hardware devices is typically concentrated on the entire process plant or a portion of a process plant. These hardware devices run applications that can, for example, enable an operator to perform functions related to controlling the process and / or operating the process plant, such as changing settings for process control routines, modifying the operation of control modules within a controller or field device, viewing the current state of the process, viewing alarms generated by field devices and controllers, simulating the operation of the process for the purpose of training personnel or testing process control software, maintaining and updating configuration databases, and the like. The data channels used by the hardware devices, controllers, and field devices can include wired communication paths, wireless communication paths, or a combination of wired and wireless communication paths.

[0005] As an example, the DeltaV sold by Emerson Process Management TM The control system includes multiple applications stored in and executed by different devices at different locations within the process plant. A configuration application, which resides on one or more workstations or computing devices, enables users to create or change process control modules and download these process control modules to dedicated distributed controllers through data channels. Typically, these control modules are composed of communicatively interconnected function blocks, which are objects in an object-oriented programming protocol that perform functions within the control scheme based on their inputs and provide outputs to other function blocks within the control scheme. The configuration application can also allow the configuration engineer to create or change the operator interface, which is used by the operator interface application to display data to the operator and enable the operator to change settings within the process control routine, such as set points. Each dedicated controller, and in some cases, one or more field devices, stores and executes a respective controller application, which runs the control modules assigned and downloaded to it to implement the actual process control functions. An operator interface application, which may be executed on one or more operator workstations (or on one or more remote computing devices communicatively connected to the operator workstations and the data channel), receives data from the controller application via the data channel and displays the data to a process control system designer, operator, or user using a user interface. The application may provide any of a number of different views, such as an operator's view, an engineer's view, a technician's view, etc. The operator workstations are typically located away from the harsh process plant environment. As a result, the operator workstations may be remotely located in various areas of the process plant.

[0006] The data historian application is typically stored in and executed by a data historian device that collects and stores some or all of the data provided via the data channel, while the configuration database application may run on another computer connected to the data channel to store the current process control routine configuration and data associated therewith. Alternatively, the configuration database may be located on the same workstation as the configuration application.

[0007] A process plant may have multiple operator, maintenance, and process plant configuration workstations, each of which facilitates control, maintenance, and commissioning of a separate portion of the process plant and, therefore, is located remotely from each other and from the workstation where the configuration application used to configure the various types of workstations resides. Commissioning these remote workstations is a time-consuming task, both individually and system-wide. To commission a remote workstation, a user, such as a process configuration engineer, must physically visit each remote workstation and perform commissioning operations on-site at each remote workstation. Because remote workstations may be located in various parts of a large plant and may also be remote from each other, users may not be able to easily access these remote workstations.

[0008] Figure 1 An example of a prior art DCS 100 is shown, and illustrates a network of geographically dispersed and remotely located computer workstations 122, configuration workstations 120, and process controllers 134, all of which are communicatively coupled via a communication network 136. The remote workstations 122 are remote from each other and from the configuration workstation 120, and may not be easily accessible. For these reasons, it would be inconvenient for users 104, who typically work at configuration workstations 120, to physically visit each remote workstation 122, both in terms of time and labor intensity. However, in prior art DCS configurations, this is precisely what is required to debug the remote workstations 122.

[0009] The user 104 may be a process engineer or a process configuration engineer. Throughout this specification, the terms user, process engineer, or process configuration engineer are used interchangeably. The process configuration engineer 104 is typically responsible for developing a process plant configuration 128, for example, at a configuration workstation 120. Alternatively, the necessary process plant configuration 128 may already be developed, and the user 104 may simply retrieve the configuration from digital storage at the configuration workstation 120.

[0010] Typically, the process plant configuration 128 is configured to be executed by one or more controllers and one or more workstations cooperating with the controllers to operate to control at least a portion of the process plant. The process plant configuration 128 executed on the remote workstation 122 is typically executed in a distributed control software environment, such as DeltaV offered by Emerson. TMProcess controller application software. Of course, the distributed control software environment itself typically executes within a workstation operating system. Therefore, one of the configuration workstations 122 may occasionally need to install and / or configure an operating system, install and / or configure various system components required for the distributed control software environment, install and / or configure the distributed control software environment, and install and / or configure the process plant configuration necessary to perform control of the process plant. A configuration workstation 122 may need to configure additional configuration workstations 120 and / or configuration maintenance workstations.

[0011] The configuration workstation 120 is a computer workstation that includes process development and process management software tools that the process configuration engineer 104 uses to develop a process plant configuration 128 that the process configuration engineer 104 wants to deploy to one or more remote workstations 122 in order to commission the remote workstations 122, i.e., to make the one or more remote workstations 122 fully operational for the purpose of monitoring and controlling the DCS 100 in the case of an operator workstation, for the purpose of configuring the process plant in the case of an additional configuration workstation, and / or for the purpose of performing maintenance activities in the case of a maintenance workstation.

[0012] In the case of a configuration operator workstation, for example, after the user 104 develops the necessary process plant configuration 128 at the configuration workstation 120, the user 104 must transfer the process plant configuration 128 to a mobile computer storage medium 130. The necessary process plant configuration 128 may also have been developed at a previous time and already reside within the computer of the configuration workstation 120. In this case, the user needs to retrieve the process plant configuration 128 from the digital memory of the configuration workstation 120 and place the process plant configuration 128 onto the mobile computer storage medium 130. The mobile computer storage medium 130 may be any known mobile computer storage medium 130, including but not limited to USB drives, CD and / or DVD-ROM media, secure digital (SD) cards, etc., although a wide variety of other mobile computer storage media may also be used for this purpose.

[0013] The process configuration engineer 104 may have developed different types of process plant configurations 128 for different areas of the process plant, for example, and may wish to deploy different types or versions of the process plant configurations 128 to different remote workstations 122. In this disclosure, the term process plant configuration 128 refers to all of the different types and versions of process plant configurations 128 that the process configuration engineer 104 may have developed, may develop, or may be developing at the configuration workstation 120.

[0014] After the user 104 has copied the process plant configuration 128 onto the mobile computer storage medium 130, the user 104 leaves the configuration workstation 120 and carries the mobile computer storage medium 130 to the particular remote workstation 122 that the user intends to commission. The user 104 may walk, ride, drive, or otherwise travel (indicated by the path 140) from the configuration workstation 120 to the remote workstation 122. The user 104 may also give the mobile storage medium 130 to a different person for transport to the remote workstation 122. In either case, someone carries or transports the mobile storage medium 130 from the configuration workstation 120 to the remote workstation 122 by some means.

[0015] Once the user 104 is at the remote workstation 122 with the mobile computer storage medium 130, the user 104 transfers the process plant configuration 128 from the mobile computer storage medium 130 to the remote workstation 122 and installs the process plant configuration 128 on the computer at the remote workstation 122. This process of downloading the process plant configuration 128 and installing the process plant configuration 128 on the remote workstation 122 takes a significant amount of time at the remote workstation 122 (indicated by the clock or timer 138). Sometimes, it may be necessary not only to install the process plant configuration 128 on the remote workstation 122, but also to install or configure the operating system, system components, and / or distributed control software environment in which the process plant configuration 128 runs.

[0016] During this commissioning process (which may include the entirety of installing and configuring each of the operating system, system components, distributed control software environment, and process plant configuration 128), the user 104 must typically wait at the remote workstation 122 for the download and installation process of the operating system, distributed control software environment, etc. to complete, which may require the user 104 to be physically present at the remote workstation 122 and wait throughout the download and installation process, as one or more actions may be required by the user 104 throughout the download and installation process. For example, the remote workstation 122 may prompt the user 104 to confirm a reboot multiple times during the installation process of the operating system or during the installation process of the distributed control software environment. To this end, the user 104 must not only remain at the particular remote workstation 122 for a period of time, but the user 104 must also remain focused on the installation process, at least until all reboots have been successfully completed.

[0017] Where the commissioning process first requires installation of a distributed control software environment, this installation is merely a prerequisite to installing the process plant configuration 128, which is implemented using a self-configuration application (e.g., ProPlus provided by Emerson). TMThe configuration software) or the configuration software created in the configuration application appears in the form of a configuration file. During this stage of the remote workstation debugging process, the user 104 at the remote workstation 122 may need to return to the configuration workstation 120, open the configuration application, and then create and configure a workstation placeholder, which can be a virtual logical device. The user then outputs the placeholder and copies it to the mobile computer storage medium 130, and again carries the mobile computer storage medium 130 back to the remote workstation 122. At this time, the user 104 copies the workstation placeholder to the remote workstation 122 that the user is attempting to debug and uses the installation program to input the placeholder. As the user 104 physically remains at the remote workstation 122, to confirm further restarts and provide supplementary information when prompted by the installation program, more waiting occurs. The user then returns to the configuration workstation 120 and downloads the workstation to connect it to the system.

[0018] While described above with respect to commissioning of an exemplary operator workstation, commissioning of a maintenance workstation or another configuration workstation requires a similar set of steps. While the specific software components and programming may vary, the overall process is largely the same in that it requires transferring the configuration to a remote workstation and requires operator attention during the commissioning and installation process to perform various tasks and restart operations during commissioning.

[0019] As above reference Figure 1 As shown, to configure and debug a remote workstation 122, the user 104 typically travels back and forth between the configuration workstation 120 and the remote workstation 122 several times, and must physically wait at each remote workstation 122 while configuring and debugging each remote workstation 122. This installation process must be repeated serially for multiple remote workstations 122 located at multiple locations within the DCS 100. This approach to debugging multiple remote workstations is very time-consuming and inefficient. Summary of the Invention

[0020] A system for facilitating remote commissioning of selected workstations in a process control plant includes a plurality of process control field devices that operate to process physical materials to produce products in the process plant. A process controller coupled to the plurality of process control field devices is configured to receive first signals from the process control field devices and send control signals to the process control field devices. The system includes a communications network and a configuration workstation coupled to the communications network. The configuration workstation includes a processor and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing machine-readable instructions executable by the processor. The machine-readable instructions, executed by the processor, provide a graphical configuration system operable by a user to create control modules and function blocks for controlling the process control field devices and download the control modules and function blocks to the process controller to implement control of the process control field devices. The machine-readable instructions, executed by the processor, receive from a user a specified configuration for a workstation coupled to the communications network, receive a selection of the workstation from the plurality of workstations coupled to the communications network, and configure the selected workstation according to the specified configuration so that the workstation is operable to communicate with the process controller to implement configuration, operation, and / or maintenance functions within the process control plant.

[0021] A method for remotely commissioning an operator workstation in a process control plant includes creating a process configuration for the process control plant in a configuration editor of a graphical configuration system running on a configuration workstation, the process plant configuration specifying a process controller, a plurality of process control field devices, and a control strategy implemented by the process controller to control the plurality of process control field devices. The method also includes specifying, in the configuration editor, a configuration of an operator workstation to be commissioned to control the process plant, and searching a communication network communicatively coupled to the configuration workstation to identify one or more decommissioned operator workstations. The method also includes receiving a selection of one of the decommissioned operator workstations, identifying the selected decommissioned operator workstation as the operator workstation to be commissioned, and configuring the selected decommissioned operator workstation according to the specified configuration of the operator workstation to be commissioned so that the operator workstation is operable to communicate with the process controller to implement control of the process control field devices and receive operational data for the process control plant. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 is a diagram of a distributed control system (DCS) that includes a configuration workstation and a network of multiple remote computer workstations.

[0023] Figure 2 is a diagram of an example process plant in accordance with the present specification.

[0024] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing some of the software elements present on a configuration workstation.

[0025] Figure 4 is a flow chart illustrating a workflow for preparing a configuration to be used for commissioning a remote operator workstation, according to the described embodiment.

[0026] Figure 5 is a block diagram of an example configuration workstation and an example remote station debugged by the configuration workstation.

[0027] Figure 6 is a flow chart illustrating an example method for debugging and configuring a remote workstation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] The presently described embodiments provide a process and system in which a configuration engineer or other user can remotely commission and configure a workstation (e.g., an operator workstation, a maintenance workstation, an additional configuration workstation) from a configuration workstation. In contrast to prior art systems in which a user is required to travel to each remote workstation, sometimes multiple times, and actively participate in responding to various prompts during the commissioning process, the presently described embodiments allow a user to configure and commission a remote workstation without having to be physically present at the remote workstation, thereby saving time and potentially allowing a single user to configure and commission multiple remote workstations simultaneously, or at least in parallel.

[0029] Figure 2 An example process plant network 102 is shown that is configured to facilitate remote commissioning and configuration of remote workstations 122. As will be described in detail herein, the remote workstations 122 (referred to herein as such because they are typically remote from each other and from the configuration workstation 120) can be configured from the configuration workstation 120 without requiring user intervention or presence at the remote workstation 122, thereby saving time and effort on behalf of personnel responsible for commissioning the operator workstations 122. Although primarily described herein with respect to the configuration of the remote workstations 122 as operator workstations, the remote workstations 122 may also be additional configuration workstations and / or maintenance workstations, differing primarily in the interface application software installed thereon.

[0030] With respect to operation of the process plant through operator workstations, plant personnel typically utilize one or more operator interface applications 124 to monitor or control operation of the process plant 102 and a distributed control system (DCS) 100 implemented within the process plant 102. The operator interface applications 124 typically include user interface applications that graphically depict process graphics to each of operators and maintenance technicians and / or other users at a workstation (e.g., workstation 122) using a variety of different displays.

[0031] Figure 2The process plant environment also includes a graphical configuration system 126 running on the configuration workstation 120. The graphical configuration system 126 generally facilitates the creation of control and monitoring schemes, including graphical displays, for controlling the process plant. The graphical configuration system 126 may include, for example, a configuration editor 132, which may be used to create control modules and control module templates, graphical displays and templates, and other aspects of the control system, which are stored in a library and which may subsequently be used to create instances or uses that are actually executed in the control of the process plant during operation of the plant 102 by downloading instances of the control modules to controllers or by executing instances of the graphical displays in user displays presented to, for example, operators and maintenance personnel. Of course, each of the graphical configuration system 126, the configuration editor 132, and the various control modules, templates, and graphical displays (collectively referred to herein as "configuration software") may be stored in a physical computer-readable memory or medium and executed on one or more processors to perform the functions described herein.

[0032] Typically, Figure 2 The distributed process control system 100 shown in FIG has one or more controllers 134, each of which is connected to one or more field devices 144 and 146 (which may be intelligent devices) via an input / output (I / O) device or card 148, which may be, for example, a Fieldbus interface, a Profibus interface, a HART interface, a standard 4-20 mA interface, or the like. The controllers 134 are also coupled to one or more host computers or operator workstations 122 via a data channel or communication network 136 (which may be, for example, an Ethernet link). A process database 158 may be connected to the communication network 136 and operate to collect and store process variables, process parameters, status, and other data associated with the controllers 134, the field devices 144, 146, and any other devices within the plant 102. During operation of the process plant 102, the process database 158 may receive process data from the controllers 140 and, indirectly, from the field devices 144, 146 via the communication network 136.

[0033] The configuration database 160 stores the current configuration of the distributed control system 100 within the process plant 102, as downloaded to and stored within the controllers 140 and the field devices 144, 146. The configuration database 160 stores process control functions that define one or more control strategies of the distributed control system 100, configuration parameters for the devices 144, 146, assignments of the devices 144, 146 to process control functions, and other configuration data related to the process plant 102. The configuration database 160 may additionally store graphical objects or user displays and configuration data associated with these objects or displays to provide various graphical representations of elements within the process plant 102. Some of the stored graphical objects may correspond to process control functions (e.g., process graphics developed for a particular PID loop), while other graphical objects may be device-specific (e.g., graphics corresponding to pressure sensors).

[0034] The data historian 162 (another database) stores events, alarms, notes, and actions taken by operators. Events, alarms, and notes can relate to individual devices (e.g., valves, transmitters), communication links (e.g., wired Fieldbus segments, WirelessHART communication links), or process control functions (e.g., a PI control loop for maintaining a desired temperature set point). In addition, the software repository 164 can store installation files and software files that may be needed to debug one or more remote workstations 122, including installation files related to the operating system, installation files related to the operator interface application 124, programs for facilitating the installation of various components, etc., as will be described herein.

[0035] Each of the databases 158-164 can be any desired type of data storage device or collection unit having any desired type of memory and any desired or known software, hardware, or firmware for storing data. Of course, the databases 158-164 need not reside in separate physical devices. Thus, in some embodiments, some of the databases 158-164 can be implemented on a shared data processor and memory. In general, more or fewer databases can also be utilized to store the data generated by Figure 2 The databases 158-164 in the example system collectively store and manage data.

[0036] While the controller 134, I / O cards 148, and field devices 144, 146 are typically located in and throughout a sometimes harsh plant environment, the configuration workstation 120 and operator workstation 122, as well as the databases 158-164, are typically located in a control room or other less harsh environment that is easily accessible to controllers, maintenance, and various other plant personnel.

[0037] As is known, each controller 134 may be, for example, a DeltaV sold by Emerson Process Management.TM The controller stores and executes a controller application that implements a control strategy using any number of distinct, independently executed control modules or blocks 170. Each control module 170 may be composed of modules generally referred to as function blocks, where each function block is a portion or subroutine of an overall control routine and operates with other function blocks (via communications referred to as links) to implement a process control loop within the process plant 102. As is well known, a function block may be an object in an object-oriented programming protocol that typically performs one of an input function, such as associated with a transmitter, sensor, or other process parameter measurement device, a control function, such as associated with a control routine that performs PID, fuzzy logic, or the like, or an output function to perform some physical function within the process plant 102. Hybrid and other types of composite function blocks are also possible, such as model predictive controllers (MPCs), optimizers, and the like. Although the Fieldbus protocol and the DeltaV system protocol use control modules and function blocks designed and implemented using an object-oriented programming protocol, the control modules may be designed using any desired control programming scheme, including, for example, sequential function blocks, ladder logic, etc., and are not limited to being designed and implemented using function blocks or any other specific programming technique. Each controller 134 may also support the Application group, and can use predictive intelligence to improve the availability and performance of production assets including mechanical equipment, electrical systems, process equipment, instruments, non-intelligent and intelligent field devices 144, 146, etc.

[0038] As depicted, the DCS 100 includes one or more controllers 134 communicatively coupled to (one or more) workstations 120, 122 in (one or more) control rooms. The controllers 134 automate the control of field devices 144, 146 in the process area by executing process control strategies implemented via the operator workstations 122. An example process strategy involves measuring pressure using a pressure sensor field device and automatically sending commands to a valve positioner to open or close a flow valve based on the pressure measurement. The I / O cards 148 convert information received from the field devices 144, 146 into a format compatible with the controllers 134 and convert information from the controllers 134 into a format compatible with the field devices 144, 146.

[0039] Through the I / O card 148, the controller 134 can communicate with the field devices 144, 146 according to the control module 170 that has been downloaded to the controller 134. The control module 170 is programmed using the configuration editor 132 executed on the configuration workstation 120. In the configuration editor 132, the configuration engineer 104 can create the control module 170 by, for example, instantiating one or more function blocks. As an example, the configuration engineer 104 can instantiate an AI function block to receive an analog input from one of the field devices 144, 146. The AI ​​function block can receive various values ​​related to the analog output of the field device 144, 146 (e.g., signal value, warning high and low limits, signal status, etc.). The AI ​​function block can output a corresponding signal to another function block (e.g., a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control function block, a custom function block, a display module, etc.). Once the AI ​​function block is instantiated, associating the function block with a unique device tag associated with a field device 144 , 146 will cause the function block, once downloaded to the controller 134 , to cooperate with the appropriate I / O card 148 to process information from the correct field device 144 , 146 .

[0040] exist Figure 2 In the factory network 102 shown, the field devices 144, 146 connected to the controller 134 can be standard 4-20ma devices or smart field devices, such as those including a processor and memory. Profibus or Fieldbus field devices, or may be any other desired type of device. Some of these devices, such as Fieldbus field devices (in Figure 2 146 ), can store and execute modules or submodules, such as function blocks, associated with the control strategy implemented in the controller 134 or performing other operations within the process plant, such as data collection, trend analysis, alarms, calibration, etc. As is well known, Figure 2 The function blocks 172, shown as being arranged in two different Fieldbus field devices 146, can be executed in conjunction with the execution of the control module 170 within the controller 134 to implement process control. Of course, the field devices 144, 146 can be any type of device, such as sensors, valves, transmitters, positioners, etc., and the I / O device 148 can be any type of I / O device that conforms to any desired communication or controller protocol (e.g., HART, Fieldbus, Profibus, etc.).

[0041] Continue to refer Figure 2, the workstations 120 and 122 may include various applications for various different functions performed by personnel within the plant 102. Each of the workstations 120 and 122 includes a memory 180 that stores various applications, data structures, etc., and a processor 182 that can be used to execute any application stored in the memory 180. Figure 2 In the example shown, in addition to the operator interface application 124, the workstation 120 also includes one or more process controller configuration applications as part of a configuration editor 132, which may include, for example, a control module creation application, an operator interface application, and other data structures that can be accessed by any authorized configuration engineer to create control routines or modules, such as control modules 170 and function blocks 172, and download them to various controllers 134 and devices 146 of the plant 102.

[0042] In broad terms, the operator interface application 124 allows an operator to view a display module configured to provide specific information about the operation of a specific area of ​​the process plant 102 and to control the operation of the process plant 102 based on the information on the display module. The display module is presented on the workstation 120, 122 and incorporates real-time process data received from the controller 134 and the field devices 144, 146. As used herein, "real-time" data communication refers to the electronic communication of data over an electronic communication network with normal delays for processing, routing, and transmission without intentionally introducing additional non-trivial delays. In some embodiments, a negligible delay of less than five seconds (and preferably less than two seconds) can be introduced to reduce network congestion when transmitting data in real time. The display module can be any type of interface that, for example, enables an operator or other user to manipulate data values ​​(e.g., perform reads or writes) to monitor or change the operation of the field devices 144, 146, the control modules 170 and the function blocks 172, and the DCS 100 and the process plant 102 as a whole. The display modules may be stored in the memory 180 of the workstations 120 , 122 and may also be stored in the configuration database 160 .

[0043] The control module 170, and in some embodiments, the display module, can be part of a configuration file 174 in the configuration database 160. That is, the control module 170 can be stored in the configuration file 174 together with the display module or separately from the display module. In any case, the configuration file 174 generally stores the entire configuration of the DCS 100, including devices, device tags, friendly names, data formatting information (e.g., scaling information, unit type, etc.), variables associated with each control loop, defined control strategies, etc. As previously noted, the configuration file 174 can also be downloaded to the controller 134 to implement the control strategy defined in the configuration file 174.

[0044] As will be appreciated, the process plant 102 may include hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of signals output from transmitters (i.e., sensors) on hundreds or thousands of field devices 144, 146 and / or input to these field devices 144, 146 to cause the field devices 144, 146 to perform control functions according to the control strategy programmed into the control module 170. The plant 102 may be divided into different areas, multiple areas may be controlled by a single controller 134, each area may be controlled by a single controller, multiple controllers 134, or some combination. In any case, the field devices 144, 146 that make up the process plant 102 may be individually replicated multiple times within the process plant 102 (e.g., there may be many valves of any type, many pumps, many heaters, many tanks, etc.). The field devices 144, 146 may also be grouped into functional groups within a physical area ("process area"), where the field devices 144, 146 in that process area perform a specific portion of the overall process. For example, a specific process area may have equipment for generating steam for use in other parts of the process. Within a process area, there may be duplicate equipment or groups of equipment ("process units") that share similar structure and functionality. As an example, a process unit in a steam generation process area may include a boiler and a turbine generator, and the process area may include multiple instances of the process unit.

[0045] Figure 3 and 4 A block diagram 200 illustrating some of the software elements present on a configuration workstation 120 according to the present specification, and a flow chart illustrating a workflow 202 for preparing a configuration to be used to commission a remote operator workstation 122 according to the presently described embodiments are respectively.

[0046] In addition to the process plant configuration 128, the configuration workstation 120 may also include a configuration environment 126 (e.g., ProPlus TM 164, or other digital storage device accessible via the communication network 136. The configuration workstation 120 may also include an installation application 230, as described below.

[0047] In the depicted embodiment, the process configuration engineer 104 enters the remote workstation configuration workflow 202 into the graphical configuration system 126 and creates a virtual logical workstation 232 within the graphical configuration system 126 that represents the particular remote workstation 122 to be debugged (block 204). (Until the debugging process is complete, a given remote workstation 122 may be considered "deactivated"). The virtual logical workstation 232 can be a programming construct or object within the graphical configuration system 126 that receives all necessary parameters for debugging and configuring the target remote workstation 122, so that when the installation process is instantiated, the installation process has all the required information to debug and configure the target remote workstation 122, including, for example: the specified operating system (e.g., Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows NT, Linux, etc.), the installation parameters of the operating system (e.g., how to allocate / reserve memory for various tasks and / or software components, storage partitions, network configuration, security parameters, user accounts, etc.), the operator interface application 124, the installation parameters of the operator interface application 124 (e.g., installation path, user account, display settings, I / O settings, etc.), other applications or services or files (e.g., maintenance applications, device drivers, dedicated communication stacks, etc.), and the process plant configuration 128.

[0048] The process configuration engineer 104 may configure the virtual logical workstation 232 by selecting and implementing various applications and services that the remote workstation 122 will host in the virtual logical workstation 232 (block 206). For example, the configuration engineer 104 may "install" a particular operating system, operator interface application 124, and any other desired or necessary applications or features on the virtual logical workstation 232, and may "configure" each of the operating system, operator interface application 124, and other applications or features as desired, including setting configuration options (e.g., user preferences, user accounts, etc.) in each. The configuration engineer 104 may also configure the virtual logical workstation 232 with the process plant configuration 128. "Installing" software, such as an operating system, operator interface application 124, other applications, and / or process plant configuration 128, may, for example, include providing the virtual logical workstation 122 with a drive or network path pointing to the location of one or more files required for such installation or configuration. For example, the drive or network path may point to a location on a storage device storing installation files or configuration files in the configuration workstation 122, may point to a location in the software repository database 164 storing installation files or configuration files, or some combination thereof.

[0049] Once the virtual logical workstation 232 is fully configured, the configuration engineer 104 can deploy the virtual logical workstation 232 over the communication network 136 and export the virtual logical workstation to any remote workstation 122 coupled to the communication network 136 to which the process engineer 104 is assigned configuration and debugging tasks. For example, in an embodiment, the configuration engineer 104 can create a placeholder 234 within the graphical configuration system 126 for the remote workstation she desires to debug (block 208) and can assign or link the virtual logical workstation 232 to the placeholder 234 (block 210) to indicate that the placeholder 234 should be configured according to the virtual logical workstation 232. The configuration engineer 104 can then indicate which of the deactivated remote workstations 122 present on the communication network 136 should be configured according to the placeholder 234 (block 212). In an embodiment, the configuration engineer 104 may “drag” a graphical representation (e.g., an icon) of the deactivated remote workstation 122 to the placeholder 234 to indicate that the deactivated remote workstation 122 should be configured according to the placeholder 234. The configuration engineer 104 may then initiate commissioning and configuration of the remote workstation 122 (block 214).

[0050] Figure 5 Some of the various elements that may be present in the configuration workstation 120 and the remote workstation 122 are shown in greater detail. Of course, as will be appreciated, the configuration workstation 120 may have an installed operating system 236 resident in its memory subsystem 180 and executing on its processor 182, and may be operable to communicate over the communication network 136 via the communication interface 184. The memory subsystem 180 may additionally store various other software elements, including the graphical configuration system 126, an installation file repository 238, and an installation application 230, as described in greater detail below. Generally, all software elements described herein comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor 182, are operable to cause the processor 182 to perform various functions as described herein. When executing the instructions, the processor 182 is considered to be hardware configured to perform the specific functions specified by the computer-executable instructions, and thus, the instructions stored in the memory essentially transform a general-purpose or multi-purpose processor into a processor configured for specific tasks or to execute specific algorithms.

[0051] As with many workstations operating in the DCS 100, the configuration workstation 224, and in particular the memory subsystem 180, may include an installed copy 224 of an operator interface application. The installed copy 224 of the operator interface application may allow the configuration engineer 104 to test the operation of various control modules and function blocks as they are created, or, as should be apparent, may allow the process plant 102 to be monitored and / or controlled from the configuration workstation 120 as if the configuration workstation 120 were one of the remote workstations 122 used by the plant operator.

[0052] The graphical configuration subsystem 126 resident on the configuration workstation 120 can be executed by the processor 182 to facilitate configuration by the configuration engineer 104 of the process plant or various systems within the process plant, including, for example, the remote workstation 122. The configuration editor 132 of the configuration subsystem 126 can include a canvas (not shown) in which the configuration engineer can create function blocks, control modules, or other control elements and algorithms for controlling the process plant 102, configure communications between the process controller 134 and the field devices 144, 146 via the I / O devices 148, etc., as generally understood by those skilled in the art. As described herein, the configuration editor 132 can also facilitate commissioning and configuration of the remote workstation 122.

[0053] As described above, the configuration engineer 104 can create one or more remote workstation placeholders 234 within the configuration editor 132. Each placeholder 234 can represent one or more operator workstations configured to control all or a portion of the process plant 102. Because different process plants can be configured in different ways, and further because large process plants can include multiple areas, each of which can be different or the same as other areas within the process plant, different portions of the same process plant can be controlled by different workstations and must be configured accordingly. Therefore, a specific operator workstation 122 must be configured for each different workstation configuration, and each corresponding different process plant or portion of a process plant. Furthermore, each remote workstation 122 must be "synchronized" with the rest of the process plant under its control, including with the process controller 134 controlling the field devices 144, 146, when configured and commissioned. Therefore, a fully commissioned remote workstation 122 is programmed with the configuration of its associated process plant (or portion of the process plant), including the address of the associated controller 134, the specific device tags of the field devices 144, 146, the specific I / O configuration, etc. To do this, the configuration engineer 104 includes placeholders 234 in the configuration for the operator workstations 122 associated with the particular configuration.

[0054] As also described above, the configuration engineer 104 can create a virtual workstation 232. The virtual workstation 232 is a logical construct within the software environment that specifies the configuration of the envisioned remote workstation, including any one or more of the following: operating system; operating system version; operating system configuration (e.g., memory allocation, user accounts, etc.); operator interface application; operator interface application version; operator interface application configuration; configuration of the process plant associated with the remote workstation; other workstation configuration parameters (e.g., drive partitioning); etc. In this way, the virtual logical workstation 232 allows the configuration engineer 104 to specify the precise future configuration of the associated decommissioned workstation.

[0055] The graphic configuration system 126 may also store various configurations 240 for one or more process plants 102 and / or one or more areas of a single process plant 102 .

[0056] The installation file repository 238 in the memory subsystem 180 of the configuration workstation 120 can store various software files necessary for configuring and debugging the remote workstation 122. As described above, the installation file repository 238 can store installation files 225 for one or more operating systems and / or operating system versions, can store installation files 226 for one or more operator interface applications and / or operator interface application versions, can store installation files 228 for other applications (e.g., maintenance applications, asset management applications, etc.), and can store other files or components (e.g., software drivers for various devices). The installation file repository 238 can also include installation files 242 for a remote installation manager 242, which can be installed on the remote workstation 122 to manage the remainder of the configuration and debugging process. In embodiments, some or all of the items stored in the installation file repository 238 can be stored in the software repository database 164 rather than in the installation file repository 238.

[0057] The installation application 230 includes various subroutines that facilitate the commissioning and configuration of the remote workstation 122. Among these subroutines is a progress monitoring subroutine 244, which monitors the configuration process, as described below, and reports back to the configuration engineer 104 at the configuration workstation 120 via a user interface subroutine 248 to inform the configuration engineer 104 of the progress of the configuration and commissioning process. A node identification subroutine 246 is operable to search the communication network 136 for remote workstation 122 nodes present on the communication network 136, and in one embodiment, is operable to query each node to determine whether each node has been commissioned or decommissioned. Furthermore, in one embodiment, the node identification subroutine 246 is operable to query each node to determine the current configuration of each node for those that have been commissioned. Alternatively or in addition, a remote check subroutine 249 can query the identified nodes to determine whether each node has been commissioned or decommissioned, the software installed on each node, and the software version, etc.

[0058] The user interface subroutine 248 can allow the configuration engineer 104 to initiate and control the debugging of the remote workstation 122 by, for example, selecting a placeholder workstation 234 to debug, selecting a specific remote workstation (i.e., node) associated with the placeholder workstation 234 to debug, selecting one or more configuration operations to be performed on the remote workstation 122 (e.g., installation of an operating system, installation of an operator interface application, installation of a configuration file, etc.), and monitoring the progress of the installation / configuration operations.

[0059] The main installation manager subroutine 250 manages the overall installation process. The installation manager subroutine 250 may engage the download manager subroutine 252 to download necessary files to the remote workstation 122. For example, the download manager subroutine 252 may download installation files and / or configuration files from the installation file repository 238 and / or from the software repository database 164 to the remote workstation 122. The installation manager subroutine 250 may be responsible for calling subroutines 244, 246, 248, and 252 and for managing the overall configuration and commissioning process on the remote workstation 122.

[0060] Also, in embodiments, a remote workstation 122 may be fully or partially deactivated. That is, a remote workstation 122 may be in one of a variety of states: it may have no operating system, it may have a minimal operating system, it may have an older version of an operating system, or it may have an operating system that is specified in a virtual logical workstation 232 that specifies its intended configuration. Likewise, a remote workstation 122 may have an operator interface application installed that may be an older version, or may be a different version or the same version than that specified in the corresponding virtual logical workstation 232. Figure 5Elements of the remote workstation 122 are shown using dashed lines, which, in various states, may or may not be installed on the remote workstation 122. Regardless of the state of the remote workstation 122, the remote workstation 122 includes a processor 254, a memory subsystem 256, and a communication interface 258 that facilitates communication over the communication network 136.

[0061] When instantiated by a configuration engineer (or other user) 104, the installation application 230 can instantiate a master installation manager 250, which can determine (e.g., by querying the graphical configuration system 126 or the configuration engineer 104) one or more placeholders 234 associated with a virtual logical workstation 232, and if more than one placeholder 234 is associated with the virtual logical workstation 232, can query the configuration engineer 104 to determine which placeholder workstation 234 to configure. The master installation manager 250 can also call a node identification subroutine 246 to identify nodes (e.g., remote workstations 122) that are communicatively coupled to the communication network 136 and available for configuration / debugging. The master installation manager 250 can present one or more nodes to the configuration engineer 104 for configuration via a user interface subroutine 248, and upon selection, the master installation manager 250 can proceed with configuring the selected node based on the selected / determined placeholder workstation 234, and specifically based on the associated virtual logical workstation 232. The master installation manager 250 may then call the download manager subroutine 252 to transfer the necessary files from the installation file repository 238 and / or the software repository database 164 to the selected remote workstation 122 according to the associated virtual logical workstation 232. In addition, the master installation manager 250 may receive data from the remote check subroutine 249 regarding the current configuration of the node or nodes that have been selected for configuration, and may call the download manager subroutine 252 to transfer only the files needed to bring the selected node(s) from their current state (as identified by the node identification subroutine 249 and / or the remote check subroutine 249) to the desired state specified by the placeholder workstation 234 and the associated virtual logical workstation 232.

[0062] In an embodiment, the master installation manager 250 first transmits an installation file 242 for the remote installation manager to the remote workstation 122. Once the installation file 242 for the remote installation manager has been transmitted to the remote workstation 122, the master installation manager 240 may cause the installation file 242 to execute on the remote workstation 122 to install an installation application 260 on the remote workstation 122. The installation application 260 may include a remote installation manager 262 that is operable to communicate with the master installation manager 240 throughout the configuration and commissioning of the remote workstation 122. In some embodiments, for example, the remote installation manager 262 examines the remote workstation 122 to determine the current configuration of the remote workstation 122 and transmits the current configuration of the remote workstation 122 back to the master installation manager 240. The master installation manager 240 may then determine which processes must be completed (e.g., operating system installation, operating system update, operator interface application installation, operator interface application update, DCS configuration file installation, etc.) in order to configure and debug the remote workstation 122 according to the selected workstation placeholder 234 (and associated virtual logical workstation 232). Thereafter, the master installation manager 250 may call the download manager subroutine 252 to transfer only the files necessary to complete the configuration and debugging of the remote workstation 122 from the installation file repository 238 and / or the software repository database 164.

[0063] In any case, the master installation manager 250 may cooperate with the download manager 252 and the remote installation manager 262 installed on the remote workstation 122 to ensure that the necessary files are transferred to the remote workstation 122, and therefore, the memory subsystem 256 may also have a copy of the installation files 225 for the operating system, copies of the installation files 226 for the operator interface application, copies of the installation files 228 for other applications, copies 264 of other components (e.g., drivers, etc.), copies 266 of the DCS configuration files necessary to configure the remote workstation 122, and, in an embodiment, a copy 268 of the workstation configuration file that specifies the desired configuration of the remote workstation 122 for the installation application 260.

[0064] The remote installation manager 262 may use the workstation configuration file 268 and / or collaborate with the master installation manager 250 to install and configure the remote workstation 122. This may include installing or updating the operating system 236, installing or updating the operator interface application 224, installing a DCS configuration file 270, installing other applications 272, and installing any other components 274.

[0065] By collaborating and communicating with the remote installation manager 262, the master installation manager 250 can allow the configuration engineer 104 to monitor the progress of the installation via the progress monitoring routine 244 and to participate in (e.g., by providing input to) the process by selecting nodes for configuration, selecting actions to be taken with respect to the selected nodes, confirming the installation of particular software elements, confirming a system restart of the node (if necessary), and the like.

[0066] Figure 6 30 is a flow chart illustrating an example method 300 for debugging and configuring a remote workstation 122. The configuration engineer 104 may instantiate the installation application 230 in any of a variety of ways. For example, in an embodiment, the configuration engineer instantiates the installation application 230 by selecting the placeholder workstation 234 and clicking a "Debug Workstation" menu item or button in the configuration editor 132. After the installation application 230 is instantiated at the configuration workstation 120, the node identification subroutine 246 may search for remote workstation nodes in the communication network 136 (block 302). In some embodiments, the node identification subroutine 246 may be operable to determine, for each remote workstation node it identifies, whether to debug or deactivate the remote workstation 122 (block 304). In such an embodiment, in some embodiments, the user interface subroutine 248 of the installation application 230 may display only the nodes identified as deactivated nodes by the node identification subroutine 246, while in other embodiments, the user interface subroutine 248 of the installation application 230 may display all nodes identified by the node identifier while distinguishing in the presented user interface whether each identified remote workstation node is to be debugged or deactivated. In other embodiments, the node identification subroutine 246 may not determine whether to debug or deactivate individual remote workstations 122 and may leave it to the configuration engineer 104 to make that determination when selecting one or more nodes to debug and configure.

[0067] The user interface subroutine 248 presents the configuration engineer 104 with a list of remote workstation nodes, from which the configuration engineer 104 can select one or more nodes to debug and configure based on the selected placeholder workstation 234. The installation application 230 receives a selection of one or more nodes to debug via the user interface subroutine 248 (block 306). After receiving the selection of nodes to debug and configure, the installation application 230 can instantiate a remote check subroutine 249 that is configured to communicate with each selected remote workstation node via the communication network 136 to determine the current state of each node and the current state of the software running on each node. The remote check subroutine 249 checks each selected remote workstation node (block 308) to first determine whether the operating system 236 is installed on the remote workstation 122 (block 310).

[0068] The installation application 230, and in particular the master installation manager subroutine 250, may determine that if the remote workstation 122 does not have an operating system installed (block 310), then the operator interface application 224, DCS configuration 270, other components 274, and other applications 272 are also not installed. Therefore, the master installation manager subroutine 250 may proceed to cause the download manager subroutine 252 to copy the operating system 225, operator interface application 226, and configuration 240 from the installation file repository 238 or the software repository database 164 to the memory subsystem 256 of the remote workstation 122 (block 312). On the other hand, if the remote check subroutine 249 determines that the operating system 236 is installed on the remote workstation 122 (block 310), the remote check subroutine 249 may determine whether the installed operating system 236 is the correct version (i.e., the version specified by the virtual logical workstation 232 associated with the placeholder 234) (block 314). If the remote check subroutine 249 determines that the operating system 236 installed on the remote workstation 122 is not the correct version, the master installation manager subroutine 250 may cause the download manager subroutine 252 to copy the operating system 225 from the installation file repository 238 or the software repository database 164 to the memory subsystem 256 of the remote workstation 122 (block 316).

[0069] If the remote check subroutine 249 determines that the operating system 236 is installed on the remote workstation 122 (block 310), then regardless of whether the operating system 236 is the correct version (block 314), the remote check subroutine 249 may proceed to determine whether the operator interface application 224 is installed on the remote workstation 122 (block 318). The installation application 230, and in particular the master installation manager subroutine 250, may determine that if the remote workstation 122 does not have the operator interface application 224 installed (block 318), then the DCS configuration 270 is also not installed. Therefore, the master installation manager subroutine 250 may proceed to cause the download manager subroutine 252 to copy the operator interface application 226 and the configuration 240 from the installation file repository 238 or the software repository database 164 to the memory subsystem 256 of the remote workstation 122 (block 320). On the other hand, if the remote check subroutine 249 determines that the operator interface application 224 is installed on the remote workstation 122 (block 318), the remote check subroutine 249 may determine whether the installed operator interface application 224 is the correct version (i.e., the version specified by the virtual logical workstation 232 associated with the placeholder 234) (block 322). If the remote check subroutine 249 determines that the operator interface application 224 installed on the remote workstation 122 is not the correct version, the master installation manager subroutine 250 may cause the download manager subroutine 252 to copy the operator interface application 226 from the installation file repository 238 or the software repository database 164 to the memory subsystem 256 of the remote workstation 122 (block 324).

[0070] If the remote check subroutine 249 determines that the operator interface application 224 is installed on the remote workstation 122 (block 318), then regardless of whether the operator interface application 224 is the correct version (block 322), the remote check subroutine 249 may proceed to determine whether the DCS configuration 270 is installed on the remote workstation 122 (block 326), and if so, determine whether the DCS configuration 270 is the correct version (i.e., the version specified by the virtual logical workstation 232 associated with the placeholder 234) (block 328). If the DCS configuration 270 is not installed, or if it is installed but not the correct version, the installation application 230, and specifically the main installation manager subroutine 250, may proceed to cause the download manager subroutine 252 to copy the DCS configuration 240 from the installation file repository 238, the graphical configuration system 126, or the software repository database 164 to the memory subsystem 256 of the remote workstation 122 (block 330).

[0071] The remote check subroutine 249 can perform similar queries to determine whether other applications 272, other components 274, and other configuration parameters are properly installed / configured on the remote workstation 122 and, as will be appreciated, can be downloaded or queued for download as needed. The main installation manager subroutine 250 can also cause the download manager subroutine 252 to download the remote installation manager subroutine 262 to the remote workstation 122 to locally manage the installation of various components on the remote workstation 122.

[0072] The main installation manager subroutine 250 on the configuration workstation 120 can cooperate with the remote installation manager subroutine 262 on the remote workstation 122 to specify the components and their configurations for installation / updating on the remote workstation 122. Thereafter, the remote installation manager subroutine 262 can install and / or update the operating system 236, the operator interface application 224, the DCS configuration 270, and any other necessary applications 272 and components 274 (block 332). Although it should be clear, the remote installation manager 262 typically installs or updates the operating system 224 before installing or updating the operator interface application 224, and typically installs or updates the operator interface application 224 before installing or updating the DCS configuration file 270.

[0073] The remote installation manager subroutine 262 can communicate with the installation application 230 , and in particular, with the progress monitor subroutine 244 of the installation application 230 , so that the configuration engineer 104 can monitor the progress of the commissioning and configuration of the remote workstation 122 .

[0074] Upon completion of the installation / update and configuration activities (block 332), the master installation manager subroutine 250 may re-instantiate the remote check subroutine 249, or may otherwise check the remote workstation 122, to ensure that the current configuration of the remote workstation 122 matches the configuration specified in the virtual logical workstation 232 associated with the placeholder 234 for the remote workstation 122. If the remote workstation 122 is in fact properly configured, the master installation manager subroutine 250 may communicate to the configuration editor 132 that the physical remote workstation 122 is “in sync” with the virtual logical workstation 232, and that the physical remote workstation 122 will immediately be available to control the process plant 102 according to the process plant configuration.

[0075] The method of remote debugging a remote workstation presented in the present disclosure provides an efficient and convenient way for a user, such as a process configuration engineer according to the example, to remotely configure multiple remote workstations without having to physically visit those remote workstations all the time. The user can accomplish the same purpose of configuring the remote workstations by working away from the configuration workstation and connecting to all of the multiple remote workstations by interacting with only a single machine as the configuration workstation.

[0076] The following list of aspects reflects various embodiments that are explicitly contemplated by the present application. One of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that the following aspects are neither limiting of the embodiments disclosed herein nor exhaustive of all conceivable embodiments from the above disclosure, but are intended to be exemplary in nature.

[0077] 1. A system for facilitating remote commissioning of selected workstations in a process control plant, the system comprising: a plurality of process control field devices, the plurality of process control field devices being operable to process physical materials in the process plant to produce products; a process controller coupled to the plurality of process control field devices, the process controller being configured to receive first signals from the process control field devices and to send control signals to the process control field devices; a communications network; a configuration workstation coupled to the communications network, the configuration workstation comprising a processor and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing machine-readable instructions executable by the processor to: provide a graphical configuration system operable by a user to create control modules and function blocks for controlling the process control field devices, and download the control modules and function blocks to the process controller to implement control of the process control field devices; receive from a user a specified configuration for a workstation coupled to the communications network; receive a selection of the workstation from a plurality of workstations coupled to the communications network; and configure the selected workstation according to the specified configuration so that the workstation is operable to communicate with the process controller to implement configuration, operation, and / or maintenance functions within the process control plant.

[0078] 2. The system of aspect 1, wherein the machine-readable instructions are executable by the processor to cause the selected workstation to be configured such that the workstation becomes an operator workstation operable to control process control field devices and receive operational data of the process control plant.

[0079] 3. The system of aspect 1, wherein the instructions executable by the processor to receive from the user a specified configuration for a selected workstation coupled to the communication network are executable to: create a virtual logical workstation by selecting applications and services for installation on the selected workstation.

[0080] 4. The system of aspect 3, wherein the instructions executable by the processor to receive from the user a specified configuration for a selected workstation coupled to the communication network are further executable to: associate the virtual logical workstation with a placeholder workstation in the graphical configuration system.

[0081] 5. A system according to aspect 4, wherein the memory of the configuration workstation further stores machine-readable instructions that can be executed by the processor to perform the following operations: transmitting one or more elements for installation on a selected workstation to the selected workstation via a communication network; causing the one or more elements to be installed on the selected workstation; and completing the installation of the one or more elements on the selected workstation away from the configuration workstation so that when completed, the selected workstation can be operated to communicate with the process controller to achieve control of the process control field device.

[0082] 6. A system according to aspect 1, wherein the memory of the configuration workstation further stores machine-readable instructions that can be executed by the processor to perform the following operations: transmitting one or more elements for installation on a selected workstation to the selected workstation via a communication network; causing the one or more elements to be installed on the selected workstation; and completing the installation of the one or more elements on the selected workstation away from the configuration workstation so that when completed, the selected workstation can be operated to communicate with the process controller to achieve control of the process control field device.

[0083] 7. A system according to any one of aspects 1 to 6, wherein the specified configuration for the selected workstation includes: a specified operating system; a specified operating system version; a specified operator interface application, which is operable to facilitate control of the process plant via a process controller; a specified operator interface application version; and a specified process plant configuration.

[0084] 8. The system of any one of aspects 1 to 7, wherein the memory of the configuration workstation further stores machine-readable instructions executable by the processor to: identify an operator workstation communicatively coupled to the configuration workstation via a communications network.

[0085] 9. The system of clause 8, wherein the memory of the configuration workstation further stores machine-readable instructions executable by the processor to: examine the identified workstations to determine a current configuration of each workstation.

[0086] 10. A system according to aspect 1, wherein the instructions executable by the processor to cause the workstation to be configured according to a specified configuration include instructions executable to cause the processor to perform the following operations: installing an operating system on the selected workstation; installing an operator interface application on the selected workstation, the operator interface application being operable to facilitate control of the process plant via a process controller; and / or installing a process plant configuration on the selected workstation.

[0087] 11. A method for remotely debugging an operator workstation in a process control plant, the method comprising: creating a process configuration for the process control plant in a configuration editor of a graphical configuration system running on a configuration workstation, the configuration for the process plant specifying a process controller, a plurality of process control field devices, and a control strategy implemented by the process controller to control the plurality of process control field devices; specifying in the configuration editor a configuration of an operator workstation to be debugged to control the process plant; searching a communication network communicatively coupled to the configuration workstation to identify one or more disabled operator workstations; receiving a selection of one of the disabled operator workstations, identifying the selected disabled operator workstation as the operator workstation to be debugged; configuring the selected disabled operator workstation according to the specified configuration of the operator workstation to be debugged so that the operator workstation is operable to communicate with the process controller to implement control of the process control field devices and receive operating data of the process control plant.

[0088] 12. The method according to clause 11, wherein specifying the configuration of the operator workstation to be debugged comprises: creating a virtual logical workstation in a configuration editor.

[0089] 13. A method according to aspect 12, wherein creating a virtual logical workstation includes specifying the following for the virtual logical workstation: a specified operating system; a specified operating system version; a specified operator interface application, which is operable to facilitate control of the process plant via a process controller; a specified operator interface application version; and a specified process plant configuration.

[0090] 14. The method according to any one of aspects 11 to 13, wherein creating a process configuration for the process control plant comprises creating a placeholder workstation, the placeholder workstation representing in the process configuration an operator workstation to be commissioned to control the process plant.

[0091] 15. A method according to aspect 12 or aspect 13, wherein creating a process configuration for a process control plant includes creating a placeholder workstation that represents an operator workstation to be debugged to control the process plant in the process configuration, and also includes associating a virtual logical workstation with the placeholder workstation.

[0092] 16. A method according to any one of aspects 11 to 15, wherein configuring the selected deactivated operator workstation according to the specified configuration of the operator workstation to be debugged includes: checking the selected deactivated operator workstation to determine at least one of the following: whether an operating system is installed on the deactivated operator workstation; the version of the operating system installed on the deactivated operator workstation; whether an operator interface application is installed on the deactivated operator workstation; the version of the operator interface application installed on the deactivated operator workstation; and whether a process configuration for the process control plant is installed on the deactivated operator workstation.

[0093] 17. A method according to any one of aspects 11 to 16, wherein configuring the selected deactivated operator workstation according to the specified configuration of the operator workstation to be debugged includes: transmitting at least one of the following to the deactivated operator workstation: an installation file for an operating system to be installed on the deactivated operator workstation; an installation file for an operator interface application to be installed on the deactivated operator workstation; and an installation file for a process configuration of a process control plant to be installed on the deactivated operator workstation.

[0094] 18. A method according to any one of aspects 11 to 16, wherein causing the selected deactivated operator workstation to be configured according to the specified configuration of the operator workstation to be debugged includes: transmitting one or more elements for installation on the deactivated operator workstation to the deactivated operator workstation via a communication network; causing the one or more elements to be installed on the deactivated operator workstation; and completing the installation of the one or more elements on the deactivated operator workstation away from the configuration workstation so that when completed, the operator workstation is debugged and can be operated to communicate with the process controller to achieve control of the process control field device.

Claims

1. A system for facilitating remote debugging of selected workstations in a process control plant, the system comprising: a plurality of process control field devices operative to process physical materials in the process control plant to produce products; a process controller coupled to a plurality of process control field devices, the process controller configured to receive a first signal from the process control field devices and to send a control signal to the process control field devices; Communication networks; A configuration workstation coupled to the communication network, the configuration workstation comprising a processor and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing machine-readable instructions executable by the processor to: Providing a graphical configuration system operable by a user to create control modules and function blocks for controlling the process control field devices, and downloading the control modules and function blocks to the process controller to implement control of the process control field devices; receiving from a user a specified configuration for a workstation coupled to the communication network; receiving a selection of the workstation from a plurality of workstations coupled to the communication network; as well as causing a selected workstation to be configured according to the specified configuration such that the workstation is operable to communicate with the process controller to perform configuration, operation, and / or maintenance functions within the process control plant, Wherein the instructions executable by the processor to receive from the user the specified configuration for a selected workstation coupled to the communication network are executable to create a virtual logical workstation by selecting applications and services for installation on the selected workstation.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The machine-readable instructions are executable by the processor to cause a selected workstation to be configured such that the workstation becomes an operator workstation operable to control the process control field device and receive operational data of the process control plant.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The instructions executable by the processor to receive from the user the specified configuration for a selected workstation coupled to the communication network are further executable to associate the virtual logical workstation with a placeholder workstation in the graphical configuration system.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein: The memory of the configuration workstation further stores machine-readable instructions executable by the processor to: transmitting one or more elements for installation on the selected workstation to the selected workstation via the communication network; causing the one or more elements to be installed on the selected workstation; Installation of the one or more elements is completed on a selected workstation remote from the configuration workstation such that upon completion, the selected workstation is operable to communicate with the process controller to effectuate control of the process control field device.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The memory of the configuration workstation further stores machine-readable instructions executable by the processor to: transmitting one or more elements for installation on the selected workstation to the selected workstation via the communication network; causing the one or more elements to be installed on the selected workstation; Installation of the one or more elements is completed on a selected workstation remote from the configuration workstation such that upon completion, the selected workstation is operable to communicate with the process controller to effectuate control of the process control field device.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The specified configuration for the selected workstation includes: Specified operating system; The specified operating system version; a designated operator interface application operable to facilitate control of the process control plant via the process controller; Specified operator interface application version; Specified process control plant configuration.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The memory of the configuration workstation further stores machine-readable instructions executable by the processor to identify an operator workstation communicatively coupled to the configuration workstation via the communication network.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein: The memory of the configuration workstation further stores machine-readable instructions executable by the processor to examine the identified workstations to determine a current configuration of each workstation.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The instructions executable by the processor to cause the workstation to configure according to the specified configuration include instructions executable to cause the processor to: Install the operating system on the selected workstations; installing an operator interface application on a selected workstation, the operator interface application operable to facilitate controlling the process control plant via the process controller; and / or Install the process control plant configuration on the selected workstations.

10. A method for remotely debugging an operator workstation in a process control plant, the method comprising: creating, in a configuration editor of a graphical configuration system running on a configuration workstation, a process configuration for the process control plant, the process configuration for the process control plant specifying a process controller, a plurality of process control field devices, and a control strategy implemented by the process controller to control the plurality of process control field devices; specifying in the configuration editor a configuration of an operator workstation to be commissioned for controlling the process control plant; searching a communication network communicatively coupled to the configuration workstation to identify one or more deactivated operator workstations; receiving a selection of one of the deactivated operator workstations, identifying the selected deactivated operator workstation as an operator workstation to be commissioned; causing the selected deactivated operator workstation to be configured according to the specified configuration of the operator workstation to be commissioned, so that the operator workstation is operable to communicate with the process controller to implement control of the process control field device and receive operation data of the process control plant, Wherein, specifying the configuration of the operator workstation to be debugged includes: creating a virtual logical workstation in the configuration editor.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein: Creating the virtual logical workstation includes specifying the following for the virtual logical workstation: Specified operating system; The specified operating system version; a designated operator interface application operable to facilitate control of the process control plant via the process controller; Specified operator interface application version; Specified process control plant configuration.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein: Creating a process configuration for the process control plant includes creating a placeholder workstation that represents in the process configuration an operator workstation to be commissioned to control the process control plant.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein: Creating a process configuration for the process control plant includes creating a placeholder workstation that represents an operator workstation in the process configuration to be commissioned to control the process control plant and associating the virtual logical workstation with the placeholder workstation.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein: Causing the selected deactivated operator workstation to be configured according to the specified configuration of the operator workstation to be commissioned includes examining the selected deactivated operator workstation to determine at least one of the following: whether an operating system is installed on the decommissioned operator workstation; the version of the operating system installed on the decommissioned operator workstation; whether an operator interface application is installed on the deactivated operator workstation; the version of the operator interface application installed on the deactivated operator workstation; and Whether the process configuration for the process control plant is installed on the deactivated operator workstation.

15. The method according to claim 10, wherein Causing the selected deactivated operator workstation to be configured according to the specified configuration of the operator workstation to be commissioned includes: transmitting at least one of the following to the deactivated operator workstation: an installation file for an operating system installed on the deactivated operator workstation; an installation file for an operator interface application installed on the deactivated operator workstation; and An installation file of the process configuration of the process control plant for installation on the deactivated operator workstation.

16. The method according to claim 10, wherein The step of causing the selected deactivated operator workstation to be configured according to the specified configuration of the operator workstation to be debugged includes: transmitting, via the communication network, to the deactivated operator workstation one or more elements for installation on the deactivated operator workstation; causing the one or more elements to be installed on the deactivated operator workstation; Installation of the one or more elements is completed on the deactivated operator workstation remotely from the configuration workstation such that upon completion, the operator workstation is commissioned and operable to communicate with the process controller to effectuate control of the process control field device.

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